Innovate UK will provide further funding to small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) to help them deliver net zero products and services.
The Net Zero Living programme is a three-year £60 million programme that invests in helping places and businesses accelerate the transition to net zero.
It has already awarded funding of over £30 million to 52 places all around the UK, helping local authorities and their partners develop and deliver ambitious projects to accelerate the net zero transition.
The latest funding focuses on helping SMEs develop new products and services that take into account two important considerations in maintaining momentum towards net zero:
- the vital role of digitalisation and data in net zero projects
- the application of user-focused design principles to ensure that products and services meet real customer and market needs
Accelerate take-up of carbon reduction measures
A final strand of the programme creates opportunities for UK businesses to collaborate internationally, working on innovative solutions with partners facing carbon reduction challenges in Africa and Asia.
Under the data and digital competitions, £4.5 million has been awarded in total across 60 projects focused on applying data, digital and artificial intelligence technologies to help accelerate take-up of carbon reduction measures.
Subject areas include:
- building retrofit
- housing and infrastructure planning
- greener commuting
Focused on user needs
Awards under the Net Zero Living user-focused design competition, in partnership with the Design Council, are helping ambitious, early-stage growth businesses to develop net zero products or services that are focused on user needs.
This includes using ‘living laboratories’ to test their products or services with end users. Over £3.5 million funding has been awarded to 48 projects.
Helping UK businesses and overseas partners to collaborate
Internationally, the imperative of addressing climate change generates massive opportunity for UK businesses.
The international element of the Net Zero Living programme is helping UK businesses and overseas partners to collaborate on a range of projects addressing net zero challenges and opportunities in markets such as:
- South Korea
- India
- South Africa
- Nigeria
- Kenya
These projects will be running until 31 March 2025.
This article was first published on 6 November by Innovate UK.
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